Big Cat Classification
|
Grade
Level: First |
Time
Required: 30-40 minutes |
|
Objective:
Students understand
that
plants and animals can be associated with their environment by an examination
of their structural characteristics. |
Skills:
Observing,
classifying and categorizing |
Overview:
This lesson was
inspired by the Disney movie, “The Lion King.” It was written and developed as a follow-up
after the children watched the video. The students really enjoyed being able to extend their fascination
with lions.
Materials required:
A video of
“The Lion King,” VCR, television, desktop publishing software, and a computer connected
to the Internet.
Vocabulary:
a. lion b. beast c.
large d.
roar e. king f.
pride
Procedures:
This lesson is structured in the style of Bloom's Taxonomy. It is meant to integrate higher level thinking skills into this unit. The activities listed below are set up to be completed within a week.
Activities:
|
Knowledge- Learn what a group of lions are called. Use the draw/paint application of any desktop
publishing software to draw a picture of a pride and label it. |
Comprehension- Choose one of the big cats and
make a mobile of facts about lions. |
|
Application: Using the database application in
Microsoft Works, Word, ClarisWorks or AppleWorks, create a fact file of information
about lions. |
Analysis-
Use
"Table" on the tool bar to make a chart that
compares lions and tigers. Tell how
they are alike and how they are different. |
|
Synthesis- Use desktop publishing to write,
edit and publish a poem about lions. Post at Just
Write. |
Technology
Connection- |
Extension:
Invite a
zookeeper in your area to come in a make a presentation about animals who live in the wild.
Home Learning:
Make a
simple game for your friends to play that includes interesting facts about
lions.
Evaluation:
Students
will give a short oral presentation explaining why lions should be protected in
the wild. Teachers can evaluate the oral report using a Rubistar
Oral Presentation Rubric.
Book List: 
How Big? How
Fast? How Hungry? A Book About Cats
By Barney Waverly,
Steve Henry Illustrator
May 1995
A
Children’s Zoo
By Tana Hoban
Greenwillow
Books, 1985
Nature’s
Children
By Bill Ivy
Grolier
Limited, 1990
A
By John
Wallace Purcell
Children
Press, 1982
